U.S. patent number 9,894,781 [Application Number 13/490,287] was granted by the patent office on 2018-02-13 for notched display layers.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Apple Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Sean Corbin, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen R. McClure, Benjamin M. Rappoport, John P. Ternus. Invention is credited to Sean Corbin, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen R. McClure, Benjamin M. Rappoport, John P. Ternus.
United States Patent |
9,894,781 |
Franklin , et al. |
February 13, 2018 |
Notched display layers
Abstract
An electronic device may have a display mounted in a housing.
The display may have layers such as polarizer layers, a color
filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. Display layers such
as color filter layers and thin-film-transistor layers may have
glass substrates. Notches or other openings may be formed in the
layers of a display. For example, a notch with a curved chamfered
edge may be formed in a lower end of a thin-film-transistor layer.
A component such as a button may overlap the notch. Structures such
as sensors, cameras, acoustic components, and other electronic
components, buttons, communications path structures such as
flexible printed circuit cables and wire bonding wires, and housing
structures may be received within a display layer notch.
Inventors: |
Franklin; Jeremy C. (San
Francisco, CA), Rappoport; Benjamin M. (Los Gatos, CA),
Ternus; John P. (Los Altos Hills, CA), Corbin; Sean (San
Jose, CA), McClure; Stephen R. (San Francisco, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Franklin; Jeremy C.
Rappoport; Benjamin M.
Ternus; John P.
Corbin; Sean
McClure; Stephen R. |
San Francisco
Los Gatos
Los Altos Hills
San Jose
San Francisco |
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
48614137 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/490,287 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20130328051 A1 |
Dec 12, 2013 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K
5/0017 (20130101); H01L 29/786 (20130101); G06F
1/1605 (20130101); G02F 1/133308 (20130101); H05K
1/028 (20130101); G06F 1/1633 (20130101); G06F
1/1637 (20130101); H04M 1/0266 (20130101); G06F
1/1643 (20130101); G02F 1/13452 (20130101); G02F
1/13454 (20130101); H04M 1/23 (20130101); G02F
1/133322 (20210101); G02F 2201/42 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G02F
1/1345 (20060101); H05K 5/00 (20060101); H01L
29/786 (20060101); G06F 1/16 (20060101); H04M
1/02 (20060101); G02F 1/1333 (20060101); H05K
1/02 (20060101); H04M 1/23 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;349/58 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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101013707 |
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Aug 2007 |
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CN |
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101183200 |
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May 2008 |
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CN |
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2448243 |
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May 2012 |
|
EP |
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H01138535 |
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May 1989 |
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JP |
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2002328623 |
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Nov 2002 |
|
JP |
|
2007233349 |
|
Sep 2007 |
|
JP |
|
548479 |
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Aug 2003 |
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TW |
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200947087 |
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Nov 2009 |
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TW |
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Other References
Mathew et al., U.S. Appl. No. 12/916,475, filed Oct. 29, 2010.
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Glick; Edward
Assistant Examiner: Quash; Anthony G
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Treyz Law Group, P.C. Treyz; G.
Victor Hadd; Zachary D.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic device, comprising: a display having a thin-film
transistor layer and a color filter layer that form a rectangular
active region of the display, wherein the rectangular active region
has a pair of opposing long edges and a pair of opposing short
edges; a notch in an outer peripheral edge of the thin-film
transistor layer, wherein the outer peripheral edge runs along one
of the short edges of the rectangular active region, wherein the
notch forms a recessed edge that is recessed with respect to the
outer peripheral edge, wherein the notch does not extend into the
color filter layer, and wherein the notch does not extend into the
rectangular active region of the display; and a button, wherein the
recessed edge of the thin-film transistor layer only partially
surrounds the button, and wherein the button extends laterally
beyond the outer peripheral edge of the thin-film transistor
layer.
2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the notch has a
curved edge.
3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the color
filter layer is recessed relative to the thin-film-transistor layer
to form a thin-film-transistor layer ledge, and wherein the notch
is formed from the ledge.
4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the
thin-film-transistor layer has a glass substrate in which the notch
is formed.
5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the color
filter layer is recessed relative to the thin-film-transistor layer
to form a thin-film-transistor layer ledge, and wherein the notch
is formed from the ledge and has a chamfered edge.
6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 further comprising a
flexible printed circuit having a first end attached to the
thin-film-transistor layer ledge and having an opposing second
end.
7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising a
printed circuit board, wherein the second end of the flexible
printed circuit is coupled to the printed circuit board.
8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a
metal structure that is attached to the at least one of the
thin-film transistor layer and the color filter layer with adhesive
and that overlaps the notch.
9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising: a
display cover layer having an opening configured to receive the
button, wherein the display cover layer defines a plane, and
wherein the button moves within the notch along an axis that is
perpendicular to the plane.
10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising a
metal chassis structure configured to support the color filter
layer and the thin-film transistor layer, wherein the button is
configured to contact the metal chassis in an over-travel
condition.
11. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising: a
metal chassis that supports the at least one of the thin-film
transistor layer and the color filter layer, wherein a portion of
the metal chassis overlaps the notch and wherein the button is
configured to contact the portion of the metal chassis that
overlaps the notch when the button moves within the notch.
12. An electronic device, comprising: a display comprising display
layers, wherein the display layers include a thin-film-transistor
layer having a straight first edge; a notch in the display formed
from removal of a portion of the straight first edge of the
thin-film-transistor layer, wherein the notch forms a second edge
of the thin-film transistor layer that is recessed with respect to
the straight first edge; and a button having a first portion
received in the notch and a second portion that extends laterally
beyond the straight first edge of the thin-film-transistor
layer.
13. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the display
comprises an active area and an inactive area, wherein the notch
and internal components of the electronic device are in the
inactive area.
14. The electronic device defined in claim 13, comprising a display
cover layer that is mounted over the active and inactive areas of
the display to protect the display layers during operation of the
electronic device.
15. The electronic device defined in claim 14, comprising an opaque
masking layer on a region of the display cover layer that covers
the inactive area, wherein the opaque masking layer hides the notch
and the internal components of the electronic device in the
inactive area from view.
16. The electronic device defined in claim 13, wherein the internal
components in the inactive area of the display include a display
driver integrated circuit, wherein the display driver integrated
circuit is mounted on a ledge portion of the thin-film transistor
layer.
17. The electronic device defined in claim 12, comprising a chassis
structure configured to support a light source, backlight
structures, optical films, and the display layers of the
display.
18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the chassis
structure is formed from a layer of sheet metal that is bent such
that a first portion of the chassis structure contacts a bottom
surface of the backlight structures and a bottom surface of the
light source and a second portion of the chassis structure contacts
a portion of the thin-film-transistor layer.
19. The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the chassis
structure is attached to a portion of the thin-film-transistor
layer at a location adjacent to the notch.
20. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the button
comprises a button member connected to a switch mounted on a
support structure, and wherein the notch is configured such that
the notch enables movement of the button member past a height
corresponding to a top surface of the thin-film-transistor
layer.
21. The electronic device defined in claim 20, comprising an
elastomeric gasket that surrounds the button member and that is
interposed between the button member and the support structure.
22. An electronic device, comprising: a display comprising display
layers, wherein the display layers include a thin-film-transistor
layer having a straight first edge, and wherein the display further
comprises a touch sensor layer that overlaps the display layers; a
notch in the display in the straight first edge of the
thin-film-transistor layer, wherein the notch forms a straight
second edge of the thin-film transistor layer that is recessed with
respect to the straight first edge, and wherein the notch forms
rounded edges of the thin-film transistor layer between the first
and second straight edges; a camera in the notch; a proximity
sensor in the notch; an ambient light sensor in the notch; a
light-emitting diode in the notch; a microphone in the notch; and a
speaker in the notch, wherein the notch at least partially
surrounds the camera, the proximity sensor, the ambient light
sensor, the light-emitting diode, the microphone, and the
speaker.
23. The electronic device defined in claim 22, wherein a portion of
the thin-film-transistor layer has been removed from the notch, and
wherein the camera has a first portion received in the notch and a
second portion that extends laterally beyond the straight first
edge of the thin-film transistor layer.
24. The electronic device defined in claim 22, wherein the display
has an active area, and wherein the straight first edge of the
thin-film-transistor layer extends along an edge of the active
area.
25. The electronic device defined in claim 22, wherein the camera
receives signals through the notch.
Description
BACKGROUND
This relates generally to electronic devices and, more
particularly, to displays for electronic devices.
Electronic devices such as computers and cellular telephones have
displays. It may sometimes be desirable to mount a display in a
compact device housing. When forming a compact device in this way,
it can be challenging to provide sufficient space within a housing
to accommodate both display components and other components such as
buttons. If care is not taken, these components may interfere with
each other or may consume more volume than desired within a
device.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved
configurations for forming displays and other components in an
electronic device.
SUMMARY
An electronic device may have a display mounted in a housing. The
display may have display layers such as polarizer layers, a color
filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. Display layers such
as color filter layers and thin-film-transistor layers may have
glass substrates. Notches or other openings may be formed in the
layers of a display. For example, a notch with a curved shape may
be machined along a lower edge of a thin-film-transistor layer.
An electronic device may have a component such as a button that
overlaps at least partly with the notch, allowing the layout of the
device to be optimized. The button may have a button member that
reciprocates within an opening in a display cover layer. When
subjected to an over-travel condition, the button member may
contact a metal chassis portion of the display, rather than
striking a thin-film transistor layer.
Notches and other openings may be formed in one or more of the
display layers of the display. A notch may, for example, extend
through multiple layers such as a color filter layer and a
thin-film-transistor layer. Structures such as sensors, cameras,
acoustic components, buttons, and other electronic components,
communications path structures such as flexible printed circuit
cables and wire bonding wires, and housing structures may be
received within a display layer notch.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various
advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and
the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device
with display structures in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of illustrative electronic
device display structures in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a display having a display layer such as a
thin-film transistor layer with a notched shape in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative display
having a notched display layer such as a notched thin-film
transistor layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device taken
through a button structure and a notched portion of a thin-film
transistor layer and other display layers in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how over-travel of a button of the type
shown in FIG. 5 may result in contact between the button and a
display chassis without striking a thin-film-transistor layer in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device
having a notched display layer such as a notched thin-film
transistor layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device
having a button and a notched display layer such as a notched
thin-film transistor layer with a notch that receives part of the
button in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a display in which
wire bonding wires pass through a notch in a display layer such as
a thin-film-transistor layer in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a display layer
having a notch through which a communications path such as a
flexible printed circuit with signal lines may pass in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a display
with a display layer and an associated printed circuit around which
a flexible printed circuit has been wrapped in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of a display showing how
display layers may be provided with overlapping notch features in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view of a machining tool being
used to form chamfers within a notch on an edge of a display layer
such as a thin-film-transistor layer in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of a machining tool being
used to form a rounded edge within a notch on an edge of a display
layer such as a thin-film-transistor layer in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of a rounded edge within a
notch of a display layer and an associated flexible printed circuit
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a top view of an illustrative display layer notch with a
curved edge in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 17 is a top view of an illustrative display layer notch with
straight edges in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 18 is a top view of an illustrative display with a circular
hole in a layer such as a thin-film-transistor layer in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a top view of an illustrative display layer notch with
portions of different depths in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an illustrative display having a
notch formed through multiple display layers in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional side view of a display in which an
electrical component that handles signals is received within a
notch in a display layers such as a thin-film-transistor layer in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Electronic devices that contain displays may also contain buttons
and other components. To accommodate buttons and other components
in a compact device housing, display layers may be provided with
openings. These openings may be formed from holes or may be formed
from notches or other recessed portions. Openings may be formed in
layers such as a thin-film transistor layer in a liquid crystal
display or other display substrates. Illustrative configurations in
which display layers such as thin-film transistor layers are
provided with notches are sometimes described herein as an example.
This is merely illustrative. Any suitable layers within a display
may be provided with recessed portions or other openings to
accommodate device structures such as buttons and other
components.
An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided
with a notched display layer is shown in FIG. 1. Electronic device
10 may be a computer such as a computer that is integrated into a
display, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a somewhat smaller
portable device such as a wrist-watch device, pendant device, or
other wearable or miniature device, a cellular telephone, a media
player, a tablet computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, a
computer monitor, a television, or other electronic equipment.
As shown in FIG. 1, device 10 may include a display such as display
14. Display 14 may be a touch screen that incorporates a layer of
conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor
components or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Display
14 may include an array of display pixels formed from liquid
crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic
display pixels, an array of plasma display pixels, an array of
organic light-emitting diode display pixels, an array of
electrowetting display pixels, or display pixels based on other
display technologies. Configurations in which display 14 includes
liquid crystal display (LCD) components may sometimes be described
herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative.
Display 14 may include display pixels formed using any suitable
type of display technology.
Display 14 may be protected using a display cover layer such as a
layer of transparent glass or clear plastic. Openings may be formed
in the display cover layer. For example, an opening may be formed
in the display cover layer to accommodate a button such as button
16. An opening may also be formed in the display cover layer to
accommodate ports such as speaker port 18.
Display 14 may be characterized by an active region such as
rectangular active region AA and an inactive region such as
peripheral inactive region IA. Rectangular active region AA may be
bounded by rectangular border 19. Inactive region IA may have the
shape of a rectangular ring that surrounds the periphery of active
region AA. If desired, some of the edges of display 14 may be
borderless (i.e., the width of the inactive region on one or more
edges may be zero or may be negligibly small). The illustrative
configuration of FIG. 1 in which display 14 is surrounded by an
inactive border region is merely illustrative.
Device 10 may have a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12, which
may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed
of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g.,
stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a
combination of any two or more of these materials.
Housing 12 may be formed using a unibody configuration in which
some or all of housing 12 is machined or molded as a single
structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an
internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior
housing surfaces, etc.). The periphery of housing 12 may have a
peripheral conductive member such as a metal housing sidewall
member that runs around some or all of the periphery of device 10
or a display bezel that surrounds display 14. Structures such as
these may also be formed from dielectric materials. The rear of
housing 12 may be formed from a planar metal member or a dielectric
structure. Sidewalls may be formed as integral portions of the rear
housing surface or may be formed using separate structures (e.g., a
separate metal housing band or display bezel). One or more openings
may be formed in housing 12 to accommodate connector ports,
buttons, and other components.
A cross-sectional side view of electronic device structures
associated with display 14 is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2,
display 14 may include display backlight structures 20, display
structures 38, and optional touch sensor layer 40. Touch sensor
layer 40 may be formed from an array of transparent conductive
capacitive touch sensor electrodes such as indium tin oxide
electrodes. A display cover layer such as a layer of glass or
plastic may be used to cover the surface of display 14 (e.g., the
front face of device 10 of FIG. 1). The conductive structures of
touch sensor layer 40 may be formed on the cover layer, may be
formed on a touch sensor substrate such as a layer of glass or
plastic, or may be formed on other layers of display 14. If
desired, display 14 may be insensitive to touch (i.e., touch sensor
layer 40 may be omitted) or display 14 may include a touch sensor
array based on other touch technologies (e.g., acoustic touch
technology, optical touch technology, force-sensor-based touch
technology, resistive touch technology, etc.).
Display backlight structures 20 may include a light guide plate, a
reflector, and optical films. The light guide plate may be formed
from a rectangular planar layer of plastic. Light 24 that is
emitted from light-emitting diode array 22 may be coupled into the
light guide plate through the edge of the light guide plate. Light
24 may be distributed laterally throughout display 14 due to the
principal of total internal reflection. Light such as light 26 that
scatters vertically upwards through backlight structures 20 may
pass through display layers 38 (and touch sensor array layer 40)
and may serve as backlight that helps a user such as user 380 to
view images on display 14. The reflector in backlight structures 20
may be located below the light guide plate and may be used to
direct light that has escaped from the light guide plate in the
downwards direction back up in upwards direction 26, thereby
enhancing backlight efficiency. Optical films such as brightness
enhancing films, diffusing films, and other films may be included
in backlight structures 20 (e.g., above the light guide plate), if
desired.
Display structures 38 may include liquid crystal display structures
or structures associated with other suitable types of display. In
an illustrative liquid crystal display configuration, a layer of
liquid crystal material may be sandwiched between color filter
layer 32 and thin-film transistor layer 34. Layer 32 may contain an
array of color filter elements for providing display 14 with the
ability to display color images for viewer 38. Layer 34 may contain
an array of display pixels electrodes. The display pixel electrodes
may be used to impose electric fields on portions of the liquid
crystal layer, thereby creating an image on display 14. Thin-film
transistor circuitry on layer 34 may be used to route control
signals from a display driver circuit (e.g., a display driver
integrated circuit) to display pixel thin-film transistors and
electrodes on layer 34.
Display layers 38 may be formed from clear substrates such as
layers of clear glass, layers of clear plastic, etc. For example,
color filter layer 32 may be formed from a transparent glass
substrate layer that has been provided with an array of colored
polymer color filter elements. Thin-film transistor layer 34 may be
formed from a transparent glass substrate layer that has been
covered with circuitry such as polysilicon thin-film transistor
circuitry and/or amorphous silicon transistor circuitry that forms
display circuitry such as gate line driver circuitry, pixel
electrodes, etc. Layers 32 and 34 (e.g., layers formed from glass
substrates) may be sandwiched between upper polarizer layer 30 and
lower polarizer layer 36. If desired, layers 32 and 34 may be
formed from clear polymer substrates (e.g., sheets of polyimide or
other transparent polymers). Polarizer layers 30 and 36 may be
formed from polymer substrates or other suitable substrates.
Configurations in which layers 32 and 34 are formed from glass
substrates are sometimes described herein as an example).
One or more chassis structures such as chassis structures 42 may be
used in forming display 14. Chassis structures 42 may include a
plastic chassis structure (sometimes referred to as a p-chassis)
and/or a metal chassis structure (sometimes referred to as an
m-chassis). These chassis structures may be used in supporting the
structures of display 14 such as backlight light source 22,
backlight structures 20, and other display layers such as display
layers 38. In the diagram of FIG. 2, chassis structures 42 are
shown as having an L-shaped cross-sectional shape. This is merely
illustrative. In general, structures 42 may have an L-shaped
cross-sectional shape, a C-shaped cross-sectional shape, or other
cross-sectional shapes. As an example, a metal chassis portion of
structures 42 may have a C-shaped cross-sectional shape that wraps
around one of the ends of display layers 38 (e.g., a lower
end).
Display layers 38 may have rectangular outlines or outlines of
other suitable shapes (e.g., outlines with straight edges, outlines
with curved edges, outlines with combinations of straight and
curved edges, etc.). The use of rectangular shapes such as
elongated rectangular shapes may allow display layers 38 to be used
in forming a rectangular active area (i.e., active area AA) for
display 14.
It may sometimes be desirable to use rectangular layers 38 for
display 14 that have different sizes. For example, it may be
desirable to use a color filter layer that is smaller than an
associated thin-film transistor layer. The use of the smaller color
filter layer may create a recessed area at the end of display 14
that exposes an end portion of the thin-film transistor layer.
Components such as display driver integrated circuits (display
driver circuitry) may be mounted on the exposed end portion of the
thin-film transistor layer, so this portion of the thin-film
transistor layer may sometimes be referred to as a thin-film
transistor ledge. There may be one, two, three, four, or more
display driver integrated circuits mounted on the
thin-film-transistor ledge.
Conductive traces on the thin-film-transistor layer may be used to
distribute display signals to circuitry on the thin-film transistor
layer (e.g., display pixel circuits) from the display driver
circuitry. A flexible printed circuit cable (e.g., a cable formed
from conductive traces on a layer of polyimide or a sheet of other
flexible polymer) may be coupled to the conductive traces on the
thin-film-transistor layer. For example, a flexible printed circuit
in the form of a cable may be used to route display signals from a
printed circuit board to conductive traces on the thin-film
transistor ledge.
Space is often at a premium in electronic devices. To ensure that
devices can be implemented using compact structures, it may be
desirable to form openings in one or more layers of a display. As
an example, a recessed portion or a hole may be formed in one or
more of display layers 38 to accommodate a device structure such as
wires, a flex circuit cable, a screw or other fastener, internal
housing structures, a camera or other electrical component, a
connector housing, a button, or other device structures. The
recessed portion in a display layer may, for example, form a notch
in the ledge portion of a thin-film transistor layer.
A button or structures associated with a button may be received
within a display layer notch. As an example, a button member, a
support structure that is used in supporting a button switch, a
button gasket, or other structures associated with a button or
other component may be received within at least a portion of the
notch in a thin-film transistor layer. Accommodating button
structures or other structures within a thin-film-transistor layer
notch in this way may allow a device to have an enhanced
configuration. For example, use of a thin-film-transistor layer
notch or other display layer opening may allow an electronic device
to be implemented in a more compact configuration than would
otherwise be possible.
FIG. 3 is a top view of an illustrative configuration that may be
used for display structures in display 14 of device 10 of FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 3, display 14 may include layers 38 such as color
filter layer 32 and thin-film transistor layer 34. An upper
polarizer layer such as layer 20 of FIG. 2 may be attached to the
exposed (outer) surface of color filter layer 34. Color filter
layer 32 and thin-film transistor layer 34 may have elongated
rectangular shapes extending along longitudinal axis 54. Color
filter layer 32 may overlap portion 58 of thin-film-transistor
layer 34, leaving thin-film-transistor driver ledge 56 exposed and
uncovered by color filter layer 32. If desired, components 46 such
as one or more integrated circuits may be mounted on
thin-film-transistor driver ledge 56. Components 46 may be, for
example, display driver integrated circuits.
Display 14 may have a display cover layer such as a layer of glass
or plastic. The display cover layer for display 14 and surrounding
housing structures in device 10 may have an outline such as outline
52 of FIG. 3. To accommodate components such as button 16 of FIG. 3
and structures associated with button 16 (e.g., a button gasket,
etc.), display driver ledge 56 may be provided with a recess such
as notch 48. Notch 48 may have a curved edge, straight edges,
combinations of curved and straight edges, or other suitable
shapes. The edges of notch 48 may smoothly transition into the edge
of thin-film-transistor layer 34 or may form right angles or other
angles with respect to the edge of thin-film-transistor layer 34.
Notch 48 may have a size suitable for receiving part of a button
(and/or part of a set of associated button structures) as shown in
FIG. 3 or may have an area that is large enough to accommodate an
entire component (e.g., all of a button such as button 16).
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of display 14 taken along
line 60 of FIG. 3 and viewed in direction 62. As shown in FIG. 4,
display 14 may have an active area such as active area AA and an
inactive area such as inactive area IA. A display cover layer (not
shown in FIG. 4) may be mounted over active area AA and inactive
area IA to protect display layers 38 during operation in device 10.
The underside of the display cover layer in inactive area IA may be
provided with an opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink
to help hide internal component in device 10 such as the components
of display 14 in inactive area IA from view by a user of device
10.
Display driver integrated circuit 46 may be mounted on driver ledge
56 of thin-film-transistor layer 34. A communications path such as
flexible printed circuit cable 70 may have one end that is attached
to conductive traces on ledge 56 and may have an opposing end that
is attached to a substrate such as printed circuit board 66.
Attachment structures such as anisotropic conductive film
structures, solder bonds, welds, connectors, or other mechanisms
may be used in attaching cable 70 to thin-film-transistor layer 34
and printed circuit board 66. One or more integrated circuits or
other components such as display timing chips, connectors, etc.
(shown as components 68 in FIG. 4) may be mounted on printed
circuit board 66.
As shown in FIG. 4, display structures such as light source 22,
backlight structures 20, optical films 44, and display layers 38
may be supported using a chassis structure such as chassis
structure 42M. Chassis structure 42M may be attached to
thin-film-transistor layer 34 using optional adhesive layer 72.
Structure 42M may be, for example, a metal chassis structure formed
from a layer of sheet metal that is bent to form a C-shaped
cross-sectional shape. Plastic chassis structures (e.g., injection
molded plastic chassis structures) may also be used in forming
support structures for display 14, if desired.
When notch 48 is formed in a thin-film-transistor layer 34, there
is a potential for localized weakening of thin-film-transistor
layer 34. As shown in FIG. 4, metal chassis structure 42M may be
attached to thin-film-transistor layer 34 in a location that
overlaps notch 48, thereby strengthening thin-film-transistor layer
34 in the vicinity of notch 48. Metal chassis 42M may be formed
from a metal such as stainless steel, a copper alloy, or other
metals. If desired, a support structure such as chassis 42M may be
formed from plastic, glass, ceramic, carbon-fiber composites or
other fiber-based materials, metal, other suitable materials, or
combinations of these materials. The use of metal chassis structure
42M to provide structural support for thin-film-transistor layer 32
in the vicinity of notch 48 is merely illustrative.
Due to the presence of notch 48 in thin-film-transistor layer 34,
button 16 may be moved further inboard (away from the periphery of
device 10) without interfering with display 14 than would otherwise
be possible. A cross-sectional side view of device 10 in the
vicinity of button 16 (i.e., a cross-sectional side view of device
10 of FIG. 2 taken along line 60 and viewed in direction 62) is
shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, button 16 may have an
associated button member such as button member 74. Button member 74
may have a circular shape or other suitable shape and may be
configured to move up in direction 94 and down in direction 86.
Display cover layer 82 may be formed from a clear plastic or glass
layer and may be used in covering the exposed surface of display
layers 38. Adhesive 88 may be used in attaching display cover layer
82 to device housing 12.
Button 16 may have a support structure (stiffener) such as support
structure 80. Switch 90 may be mounted on support structure 80.
When a user presses downwards on button member 74 in direction 86,
switch 90 may change its state (e.g., to close). There is a
potential for portions of button member 74 to contact internal
device structures such as display layers 38. In a configuration of
the type shown in FIG. 5, however, in which thin-film-transistor
layer 34 includes notch 48, some of the material of
thin-film-transistor layer 34 has been removed and will therefore
not interfere with the travel of button member 74, even when
portion 92 of button member 74 moves downwards in direction 86 in
response to user downwards pressure on the surface of button member
74. The presence of notch 48 allows button member 74 (and therefore
button 16) to be moved more in direction 96 than would otherwise be
possible, thereby minimizing the size of device 10 along
longitudinal dimension 54 (FIG. 3).
As shown in more detail in the cross-sectional side view of FIG. 6,
button member 74 may nominally travel no farther into device 10
than is represented by button outline 98. In some situations,
however, there is a possibility that button member 74 may travel
farther (e.g., to the location represented by outline 100). In
over-travel conditions such as these, lower surface 92 of button
member 74 has the potential to contact internal device structures
such as chassis member 42M or other display structures. Chassis
member 42M may be formed from a durable material such as metal and
may be configured to withstand damage in the event of occasional
impacts from button member 74 of button 16. The location of notch
48 is preferably configured such that no portion of
thin-film-transistor layer 34 will be struck by lower portion 92 of
button member 74, even if button member 74 experiences
over-travel.
A perspective view of the structures that make up display 14 in the
vicinity of notch 48 in thin-film-transistor layer 34 is shown in
FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, flexible printed circuit cable 70 may
wrap around thin-film-transistor layer 34 and metal display chassis
structure 42M. Display chassis 42M or other support structures may
overlap the area consumed by notch 48 and may therefore provide
support to thin-film-transistor layer 34 in the vicinity of notch
48 to help prevent thin-film-transistor layer 34 from cracking
during use of device 10.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of device 10 in the
vicinity of button 16. As shown in FIG. 8, button member 74 may be
surrounded by an elastomeric gasket such as silicone gasket 102.
Button stiffener structure 80 may surround button member 74 and
gasket 102 and may have portions that support button switch 90
(see, e.g., FIG. 5). Screws 106 may be used to attach connector
structure 108 to housing structure 12. The surfaces of structure 80
and housing 12 may be planar and may lie in a common plane. Display
cover layer 82 may be attached to the surfaces of structure 80 and
housing 12 using a layer of adhesive or other suitable fastening
mechanisms.
If desired, openings in thin-film transistor layer 34 may be used
to accommodate housing structures, communications paths with
conductive lines (e.g., digital buses and/or paths for analog
signals), electrical components, and other structures in device 10.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of display 14 in a configuration in
which thin-film-transistor layer 34 has a notch that is used to
accommodate a signal path. As shown in FIG. 9, thin-film-transistor
layer 34 may include notch 48. Notch 48 may overlap underlying
structures such as printed circuit board 66. Printed circuit board
66 may be a rigid printed circuit board or a flexible printed
circuit. One or more components such as component 68 may be mounted
on printed circuit 66. If desired, components such as component 68
of FIG. 9 may be mounted on other substrates. For example, the
component mounting functions of printed circuit 66 may be performed
using a dielectric carrier such as an injection molded plastic
carrier or other dielectric substrate.
Components such as component 68 may include one or more integrated
circuits such as display timing circuits, display driver integrated
circuits, application-specific integrated circuits, or other
electronic components and may be mounted on the exposed lower
surface of printed circuit board 66 facing downwards (in the
orientation of FIG. 9). The opposing upper surface of printed
circuit 66 (i.e., the exposed upper surface of printed circuit 66
in the orientation of FIG. 9) may be provided with bond pads 108.
One or more bond wires such as wire bonding wires 110 may be bonded
between bond pads 108 and conductive traces 112 on thin-film
transistor layer 34.
Printed circuit 66 may include internal traces (e.g., interconnects
and vias) that interconnect the circuitry of components 68 to bond
pads 108. Wires 110 and conductive traces 112 may be electrically
coupled between bond pads 108 and display driver circuitry 46
(e.g., one or more display driver integrated circuits) and may be
used in routing signals between components 68 and display driver
circuitry 46. Traces 114 may be used to couple display driver
integrated circuits such as integrated circuit 46 to gate driver
circuitry and other display control circuitry for controlling an
array of display pixels in display 14.
In the example of FIG. 9, the signal path that passes through notch
48 is shown as including two wire bond wires 110. This is merely
illustrative. One wire bond, two wire bonds, three wire bonds, or
four or more wire bonds may be formed in notch 48 if desired. The
signals that are carried on the conductive lines passing through
notch 48 may include analog signals, digital signals, display data
signals, control signals, clock signals, or any other suitable
signals. Wires, cables, or other suitable conductive lines may be
used in conveying information through notch 48. As shown in the
illustrative configuration of FIG. 10, for example, a flex circuit
cable such as flexible printed circuit 116 may pass through notch
48. Flexible printed circuit cable 116 may include one or more, two
or more, three or more, or ten or more conductive lines (e.g., for
forming a display bus or other signal bus).
A signal path such as the signal path of FIG. 10 that has been
formed from conductive traces on a flexible printed circuit
substrate may be used to couple circuitry on a printed circuit
board (e.g., circuitry on a main logic board or other printed
circuit) to display driver circuitry such as display driver
integrated circuit 46 of FIG. 9. If desired, signals can be
conveyed through notch 48 using one or more discrete wires (e.g.,
dielectric coated metal wires), coaxial cables, flexible printed
circuit transmission lines, or other conductive paths.
FIG. 11 is a side view of the structures of FIG. 10 taken along
line 120 and viewed in direction 122. As shown in FIG. 11, flexible
printed circuit cable 116 may extend through notch 48 from the
upper surface of thin-film-transistor layer 34 to printed circuit
66 or other structures mounted under layer 34. Flexible printed
circuit cable 116 may have one end such as end 124 that has
conductive lines coupled to traces 112 on the surface of
thin-film-transistor layer 34 (e.g., using anisotropic conductive
film or other suitable attachment mechanisms). Flexible printed
circuit cable 116 may also have an opposing end such as end 126
that is electrically coupled to traces 128 in printed circuit 66.
Traces 128 in printed circuit 66 may be used to electrically couple
flexible printed circuit cable 116 to integrated circuit 68.
If desired, cables such as flexible printed circuit cable 116 may
be coupled to a logic board that is not mounted on
thin-film-transistor layer 34 or other display layers. For example,
cables or other signal paths that at least partly pass through a
notch such as notch 48 of FIG. 11 or other openings in a display
layer may be used in coupling thin-film-transistor circuitry on
thin-film-transistor layer 34 (e.g., display driver circuitry in an
integrated circuit, display driver circuitry formed as a
thin-film-transistor circuit on layer 34, etc.) to other circuitry
in device 10 such as circuitry 68 on printed circuit 66 of FIG. 11,
circuitry on a motherboard, circuitry on a daughter board,
circuitry on one or more other printed circuits, circuitry on
support structures formed from injection-molded plastic or other
dielectrics, structures formed from flexible printed circuits,
etc.
Notches such as notch 48 may, if desired, pass through multiple
display layers in display 14. As shown in FIG. 12, for example,
notch 48 may be formed from a recess in color filter layer 32 and
an aligned recess in thin-film-transistor layer 34. The sizes and
the shapes of the notches in layers 32 and 34 may be identical or
may overlap to create a notch having an area defined by the overlap
region between layers 32 and 34. In configurations in which a
cable, button, other component, or other device structure is
passing through the notch, the sizes and shapes of the notch
regions in layers 32 and 34 may overlap sufficiently to create a
common notch region. As shown in the configuration of FIG. 12, the
size and shape of notch 48 may be common to both layers 32 and 34.
If desired, display layers such as polarizer layers 30 and 36 may
be provided with notches that match the notches in layers 32 and
34. Notches or other openings that overlap with notch regions in
layers 32 and 34 may also be provided in layers such as display
cover layer 82 and touch sensor layer 40.
Notches in display 14 (e.g., in display layers 38) may be
configured to receive any suitable structures such as structures
128 in FIG. 12. Structures 128 may include housing structures such
as screws, frame members, housing walls, screw bosses, internal
housing structures, and other structural members. The presence of
one or more openings in display layers 38 such as layers 32 and/or
34 that are configured to receive housing structures such as these
may allow device 10 to be implemented more compactly than would
otherwise be possible. Notches such as notch 48 may also be
configured to receive electrical components (i.e., structure 128
may include one or more components). As an example, electrical
components 128 such as image sensors, cameras (e.g., camera modules
that include image sensors and lenses), light-based proximity
sensors or other proximity sensors, ambient light sensors,
connectors, switches, buttons, speakers, microphones, and other
audio components, audio jacks, removable media structures, buttons,
audio components, integrated circuits, printed circuits, cables or
other communications paths, or other structures may be mounted in
device 10 so that at least some of the structures are received
within notch 48.
Notch 48 may be formed by water-jet cutting, scribing and breaking,
machining using cutting tools, or other suitable techniques. As
shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, a rotating cutter such as
cutter 130 may be moved towards layer 34 in direction 136 to
machine or otherwise create a desired surface shape on the exposed
edge of one or more layers in display 14 (e.g., layer 34 or other
display layers). In the example of FIG. 13, cutter 130 has a shape
for cutting a flat edge such as planar surface 132 and upper and
lower beveled surfaces such as chamfers 134, resulting in a
chamfered edge on thin-film-transistor layer 34 or other display
layers. The shape of cutter 130 may help prevent layer 34 from
vibrating up and down during the cutting process. If desired, other
shapes for forming flat edges such as edge 132 on display layers
such as thin-film-transistor layer 34 may be used. For example,
cutter 130 may be formed from a rotating cylindrical member that
forms a flat vertical leading edge on layer 34. FIG. 14 shows how
cutter 130 may be configured to form rounded edge 138 on a display
layer such as thin-film-transistor layer 34. Rounded edge 138 may
be characterized by a radius of curvature R.
As shown in the cross-sectional side view of FIG. 15, the magnitude
of radius of curvature R may be configured to create a desired bend
radius for flexible printed circuit layer 116. Layer 116 may be,
for example, a strip of flexible printed circuit material that
includes parallel traces for forming a signal bus that couples
electrical circuitry such as circuitry in or associated with
components 140 and 46.
FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19 are top views of illustrative shapes that
may be used in forming display layers openings. Notch 48 may have a
curved edge shape, as shown in the top view of layer 34 in FIG. 16.
As shown in FIG. 17, notch 48 may have straight sidewalls. If
desired, an opening may be formed in display layers such as opening
48 in layer 34 of FIG. 18. FIG. 19 shows how notch 48 may have
shallow portions and deeper portion.
As shown in FIG. 20, an opening in display layers 38 such as notch
48 may pass through polarizer layers 30 and 36, color filter layer
32, and thin-film-transistor layer 34. In general, notch 48 may
pass through one or more of these layers, two or more of these
layers, three or more of these layers, or four or more of these
layers. Configurations in which notch 48 passes through
thin-film-transistor layer 34 are sometimes described herein as an
example. In general, however, notch 48 may pass through any
suitable number of layers in display 14 (e.g., one or more display
layers, a touch sensor layer, a display cover layer, etc.).
As shown in the cross-sectional side view of layer 34 of FIG. 21, a
component such as component 142 may transmit and/or receive signals
such as signals 144 through the opening formed by notch 48 in a
display layer such as thin-film-transistor layer 34 and/or other
display layers 38. Signals 144 may be, for example, visible,
infrared, or ultraviolet transmitted light and/or received light,
transmitted radio-frequency electromagnetic signals or other
transmitted electromagnetic signals, received radio-frequency
electromagnetic signals or other received electromagnetic signals,
acoustic signals (ultrasonic or audible sound), or other signals.
Opening 48 may be a circular hole, a recessed opening such as a
notch, or other opening in a display layer in display 14. Component
142 may be an image sensor, a proximity sensor, an ambient light
sensor, a status indicator light, a touch sensor, a light-emitting
diode, a speaker, a microphone, other audio circuitry, an
integrated circuit, a button, a connector, a housing structure, an
integrated circuit, a printed circuit, a cable, wires, other
structures in device 10, combinations of these structures, or
portions of these structures.
The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this
invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in
the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented
individually or in any combination.
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